Verdict
The Citroën C4 Cactus passes its MOT first time on 74.7% of tests, 8.5 points lower than a typical car of the same age and mileage (83.1%). That puts it ahead of 2% of cars on UK roads once age and mileage are taken into account.
By year of first registration, the 2018 C4 Cactus does best (beats 3% of cars) and the 2016 worst (beats 2%).
Of its engines, the 1.2 Petrol does best (beats 2%) and the 1.6 Diesel worst (beats 2%).
Watch these weak spots
MOT pass rate by age
First-time pass rate at each MOT by the car’s age in years.
Best and worst years
By year of first registration, ranked against all cars on UK roads after adjusting for age and mileage. Green = better than half of cars.
Engines
All years, most common first. Grades compare each car with cars of the same age and mileage (A = best 20% of cars on UK roads, E = worst 20%), so an older or higher-mileage car can grade above one with a higher pass rate.
| Engine | Pass rate | Rank | Grade |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1.2 Petrol | 76.0% | Beats 2% | E |
| 1.6 Diesel | 70.2% | Beats 2% | E |
| 1.5 Diesel | 76.3% | Beats 3% | E |
Where it fails
Each area compared with a typical car of the same age and mileage, in points of pass rate. Tap or hover an area to see what to check.
Every MOT area
Share of tests failing on each area, against a typical car of the same age and mileage (black line).
Buying one or MOT due? Check these
- Windscreen wipers 2.6× typical
Test the washers and wipers: a cheap fix, but a very common MOT fail. - Headlight bulbs & units 4.3× typical
Check dipped and main beam on both sides. - Headlight aim 2.0× typical
Park facing a wall at night: both dipped beams should sit level and dip to the left. - Number plate lights 5.0× typical
Walk around with the lights on: bulb failures are the easiest MOT fails to avoid. - Exhaust system 8.4× typical
Listen for a blowing exhaust at start-up and look for heavy corrosion underneath. - Suspension ball joints 3.3× typical
Listen for knocks over speed bumps and feel for wandering or vague steering.
Pass rate by mileage
First-time pass rate by mileage at the test.
Most common MOT failures
| Item | This car | Typical | vs typical |
|---|---|---|---|
| Windscreen wipers | 5.1% | 2.0% | 2.6× |
| Headlight aim | 3.4% | 1.7% | 2.0× |
| Headlight bulbs & units | 3.2% | 0.8% | 4.3× |
| Windscreen washers | 2.9% | 1.3% | 2.3× |
| Drive shaft (CV) joints | 2.8% | 0.4% | 7.2× |
| Tyre damage & cracking | 2.7% | 3.2% | 0.9× |
| Tyre tread depth | 2.6% | 1.8% | 1.4× |
| Number plate lights | 1.9% | 0.4% | 5.0× |
| Exhaust system | 1.7% | 0.2% | 8.4× |
| Brake pads | 1.6% | 1.8% | 0.9× |
Specific defects found
Tester wording for the most frequent failure items, per 1,000 tests.
| Defect | per 1,000 |
|---|---|
| Wiper blade missing or obviously not clearing the windscreen | 51.1 |
| The aim of a headlamp is not within limits laid down in the requirements | 33.5 |
| Windscreen washers not working or not providing sufficient fluid to clear the windscreen | 29.1 |
| A transmission shaft constant velocity joint boot missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc | 28.4 |
| A headlamp or light source missing, inoperative or more than ½ not functioning in the case of LED | 26.5 |
| Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements | 26.2 |
| A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn | 18.2 |
| A rear registration plate lamp or light source missing or inoperative in the case of a single lamp or all lamps | 17.1 |
Pick a make and model to see its MOT pass rate, best and worst years and weak spots.
Every year and engine
Tap a year to see its engines. Grades compare each car with cars of the same age and mileage (A = best 20% of cars on UK roads, E = worst 20%), so an older or higher-mileage car can grade above one with a higher pass rate.
2020 Citroën C4 Cactus1 engine84.6% passE
| Engine | Pass rate | Rank | Grade |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1.2 Petrol | 84.6% | Beats 11% | E |
2019 Citroën C4 Cactus2 engines79.2% passE
| Engine | Pass rate | Rank | Grade |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1.2 Petrol | 79.5% | Beats 4% | E |
| 1.5 Diesel | 77.8% | Beats 4% | E |
2018 Citroën C4 Cactus3 engines76.8% passE
| Engine | Pass rate | Rank | Grade |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1.2 Petrol | 77.2% | Beats 3% | E |
| 1.6 Diesel | 75.5% | Beats 3% | E |
| 1.5 Diesel | 73.6% | Beats 2% | E |
2017 Citroën C4 Cactus2 engines73.5% passE
| Engine | Pass rate | Rank | Grade |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1.2 Petrol | 74.2% | Beats 2% | E |
| 1.6 Diesel | 71.9% | Beats 3% | E |
2016 Citroën C4 Cactus2 engines69.2% passE
| Engine | Pass rate | Rank | Grade |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1.2 Petrol | 70.5% | Beats 1% | E |
| 1.6 Diesel | 67.4% | Beats 2% | E |
2015 Citroën C4 Cactus2 engines64.5% passE
| Engine | Pass rate | Rank | Grade |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1.6 Diesel | 62.1% | Beats 2% | E |
| 1.2 Petrol | 67.4% | Beats 3% | E |
FAQ
What is the Citroën C4 Cactus MOT pass rate?
74.7% of MOT tests on the Citroën C4 Cactus were passed first time, based on 125,772 tests between 2018 and 2026 of cars first registered 2015–2020. A typical car of the same age and mileage passes 83.1% of the time.
Is the Citroën C4 Cactus reliable?
On MOT results it rates E (poor): it passes first time less often than a typical car of the same age and mileage and does better than 2% of cars on UK roads. MOT results cover safety and emissions items, not every kind of breakdown.
Which Citroën C4 Cactus year is best?
Among years with enough data, the 2018 C4 Cactus does best for its age and mileage: it beats 3% of cars on UK roads. The 2016 does worst: it beats 2%.
Which Citroën C4 Cactus engine is best?
Across all years, the 1.2 Petrol does best: it beats 2% of cars on UK roads. The 1.6 Diesel does worst: it beats 2%.
What are the most common MOT failures on the Citroën C4 Cactus?
The most common failure items are windscreen wipers, headlight aim, headlight bulbs & units. Compared with similar cars, windscreen wipers comes up 2.6× as often.